The present invention relates to protective gloves and, in particular, to gloves for use during the self-service dispensing of fuel into a vehicle tank. In the dispensing of gasoline or other vehicle fuel, it is common for the fuel to be splashed or spilled onto the pump-manipulating hand of the person dispensing the fuel. This can be damaging to the skin of the hand and also leaves an offensive odor, which can remain on the skin for a long time and is frequently difficult to wash off. Furthermore, the presence of gasoline and the attendant fumes and vapors on a person's hand can be hazardous if the person is a smoker.
These problems are particularly aggravated in the case of self-service gasoline stations, which are becoming more and more prevalent. Many self-service gasoline stations do not provide cleaning materials for customers to clean their hands. Thus, the odors and fumes attendant to gasoline on the hands can remain with the customer and in his vehicle for a considerable period of time.
Furthermore, in cold weather handling of the metal dispensing nozzle can be very uncomfortable. While, in cold weather the user may have a pair of gloves or mittens with him which will provide some thermal insulation from the cold dispensing nozzle, this does not alleviate and, indeed, can aggravate the gasoline spillage problem. If gasoline is spilled on the customer's glove, it is absorbed by the glove. Thus, the attendant odors will remain on the glove for very long periods of time and may damage or ruin the glove. If the customer carries a special glove in his vehicle for use in dispensing gasoline, the odors from the glove may permeate the vehicle. Furthermore, the glove with gasoline absorbed therein constitutes a continuous safety hazard.
It is known to provide special protective gloves designed to repel or be resistant to certain chemical substances. While such a specialized protective glove could be carried in a user's vehicle, it would still have the problem of retaining gasoline odors for long periods of time.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,157, there is disclosed a self-service gasoline glove which is adapted to be fastened to a part of the vehicle, such as the rear of the license plate or the inside of the compartment door containing the gasoline filler tube. While such an arrangement might tend to minimize the odors in the vehicle, it still requires the customer to purchase a specialized glove. Furthermore, storage of the glove on the outside of the vehicle may expose it to the elements and dirt and grime from the road.